MIDLAND, MI — Diners in Midland soon will have a new option for seafood and other Florida-inspired cuisine.

Midland native Jacob Petroski and his wife Christin Petroski, originally of Florida, moved to Midland from the Sunshine State last year. After settling back in his home town, Jacob Petroski decided to pursue a new business venture, a big-city-style food truck that would bring the taste of Florida to the Great Lakes Bay Region.

The Crispy Crab is expected to open for business Saturday, Feb. 1. The mobile restaurant initially will be at Dan Dan the Mattress Man, 802 Ashman, and open only for lunch. Petroski hopes to find a few more locations, possibly some in Saginaw County, so he can move the food truck among them and add evening hours when the weather gets warmer.

Petroski, owner, operator and chef, said entrees will be priced at $6 to $10. Offerings include fish tacos, shrimp tacos, a burger with grilled onions and pineapple, and crab cakes.

“The crab cake is kind of the Florida staple,” he said.

He said the truck is equipped with everything a traditional restaurant kitchen would have, from city water to a deep fryer.

“We do everything right on board, from washing the dishes to actually serving the food,” he said.

The outside of the truck is emblazoned with bright orange and red suns, a red crab and the words “The Crispy Crab Fresh Florida Cuisine.” A large window on one side will serve as the place where customers can order.

“It turns a lot of heads,” Petroski said. “The novelty of it will be pretty cool around Midland.”

Petroski is a first-time business owner but has managed a bar, worked for Disney and taught business at a public high school in Florida. He and his father, Frank Petroski, built the food truck together by retrofitting a basic delivery truck, a more than $20,000 investment.

A final health department inspection is the last thing on his checklist before he can open for business.

Petroski said The Crispy Crab is the only fully-mobile food truck he's aware of in Midland, although there are a few food trailers.

He said his biggest challenge is to get the word out and to help people who aren't familiar with the concept to understand what a food truck is.

“I hope to do very well with this truck. I mean, it's a big investment for us, definitely. And I think there's good buzz around the city so far,” he said.

— Heather Jordan covers business for MLive/The Saginaw News/The Bay City Times. She can be reached at 989-450-2652 or hjordan@mlive.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.